Name: Star Eaters Delight
Brand: Lael Neale

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

SP1534

Colour

Gold

Colour details

Discogs ID

[r26839196]

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-04-21

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

PIAS

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

098787153408

Total Cap

Gold LP

SPCD1534

098787153422

Artist

Lael Neale

Genre GB

Alternative / Modern

Label GB

Sub Pop

Short for "Subterranean Pop" 

The label was an outgrowth of [a=Bruce Pavitt]'s Olympia, WA based (print) fanzine, which became the well respected cassettezine of the same name. 

After his move to Seattle he ran a music column in the Seattle Rocket also called Sub Pop.

After initial forays into the record label world with a [a=Green River] 7" (not officially on Sub Pop) and the Sub Pop 100 LP, the label exploded onto the indie scene with four influential colored vinyl 7"s which included [a=Mudhoney]'s "Touch Me I'm Sick" which made the year-end top 10 playlist of nearly every music journalist in the world.

Subsequent hyping of the label in the English music press put them on the map, and grunge was born.

Label-Code is 03159; rarely found printed on releases (basically only on releases manufactured/licensed by Warner/WEA Germany)

Lael Neale is a singer/songwriter originally from Virginia, currently residing in California. With her unique blend of folk and indie pop, she captivates audiences with her heartfelt lyrics and soulful melodies. Her music reflects her personal experiences and emotions, creating an intimate connection with listeners. Lael's powerful vocals and poetic storytelling make her a rising star in the music industry.
Having honed her craft through years of performing in local venues, Lael has developed a distinct sound that sets her apart from other artists. Her songs are filled with raw emotion and vulnerability, allowing listeners to relate to her on a deep level. Whether she's singing about love, loss, or self-discovery, Lael's authenticity shines through in every note.
In addition to her musical talents, Lael is also known for her captivating live performances. She effortlessly commands the stage with her mesmerizing presence and infectious energy. Audiences are drawn into the world she creates on stage, leaving them wanting more.

New, self-recorded album by LA/Virginia artist Lael Neale explores themes of transcendentalism, the polarities of nature and civilization, and healing via minimalist pop ala the Velvet Underground. 

Lael Neale still has a flip phone and there were no screens involved in the creation of her new record Star Eaters Delight. The album is her second for Sub Pop and reveals an expansion of her sonic collaboration with producer and accompanist Guy Blakeslee. In April of 2020, in the wake of transformations both personal and global, Lael moved from Los Angeles back to her family’s farm in rural Virginia. Looking at the world from a distance and getting in tune with her own rhythms, she wrote and recorded steadily for two dreamlike years, driven by a need to make order out of chaos. Forged in isolation, Star Eaters Delight is a vehicle for returning, not just to civilization, but to celebration. She says, “Acquainted with Night (recorded in 2019, and released in 2021), was focused inward, amidst the loud and bright Los Angeles surrounding me. It was an attempt to create spaciousness and quiet reverie within. When I moved back to the farm, I found that the unbroken silences compelled me to break them with sound. This album is more external. It is me reaching back out to the world, wanting to feel connected, to wake up, to come together again.”

Album opener and lead single “I Am The River” melts the ice with a dynamic explosion of minimalist transcendental pop clearly descended from the Velvet Underground’s branch of modern music’s family tree. Blakeslee’s spare yet cinematic arrangements create an ambient space in which Neale’s clear and unaffected voice can explore familiar themes in an unexpected way. Subtle but potent references to Shakespeare, Emerson and the Bible (which she hasn’t read) swirl together with deeply personal musings and touches of wry humor, always more optimistic than cynical. While this is a record about polarities- country vs. city, humanity vs. technology, solitude vs. relationship - the deeper intention is to heal; to come to terms with our differences and put the broken pieces back together again. Lael’s affinity with the Transcendentalists has to do with her quest to hold onto sovereignty over her own mind. In a time when our devices are constantly flooding us with information, opinions and propaganda, Lael is intentional about what she takes in - hence the flip phone and the cassette recorder. Neale identifies as a minimalist “not because I don’t like things, but because I value freedom more.”

Star Eaters Delight

Music GB